UW-Eau Claire goes around the world in a night

The men's cross-country team finished 10th out of 25 teams Saturday at the Maple Grove Country Club in West Salem, Wis. The Blugolds went up against some of the best teams in all three college divisions, including nationally ranked teams like the University of Minnesota and UW-Madison.

The stage was decorated with white and blue balloons. Colorful lights were blinking and hand-made pictures of dolphins and orange jellyfish surrounded the room. The people in the seats were cheering and eager for the show to start. Finally, the curtains opened and the show began.

More than ten countries were represented in song, dance and musical performances. The night included a fashion show with traditional clothing and costumes from over 15 different countries. During the fashion show, a slideshow played with pictures from the countries represented during the evening. Students, M.A.D. and part of the International Culture Night Committee came together to share their cultures and traditions.

Junior Jia Teng Lim was involved in the show and said he was proud of everyone and really enjoyed being a part of the group.

“International Culture Night is a good channel for me to introduce my culture to the world. It is promoting a better understanding of different cultures,” he said.

The students involved in the performance were not the only ones to enjoy it – sophomore Sarah Ausman said the ending was a surprise to her.

“I almost cried. Everyone in the performance was waving flags from the countries and it was beautiful,” she said. “There is so much war in this world that it was so touching to see everyone coming together and sharing their cultures with us.”

Jane Ong, chair of International Culture Night and a M.A.D. member, hoped the event would bring in a bigger crowd this year because of increased diversity.

“This year I hoped for a better turnout because it’s International Culture Night, not just Asian Night,” he said.

The night was filled with several different performances, including traditional Irish and Nigerian dances, Chinese break dancing and songs sung in Spanish and the traditional Indonesian language.

The audience was involved throughout the night, clapping with the Irish dancers and applauding for the soloists. After a performance from members of the Eau Claire Irish Dance Club, five people were asked to volunteer to come up on stage and learn an Irish jig.

The entertainment lasted for about two hours, with a short intermission. During intermission, culturally diverse food was served and music played in the background.

“The whole show was so unique and interesting. I really learned a lot about so many people and so many different cultures,” Ausman said.“I can’t wait for the show next year.”